The Dark Root Organization's battle plan was to ambush the three new Kage along the unavoidable routes to their posts, use their deaths to incite nationwide panic, then fish in troubled waters and fulfill their unspeakable ambitions!
At this moment, in the western corridor of the Ninja Kingdom, the Hidden Sand Village forces were escorting Kazekage Gaara to take office in Sand River City, the capital of a Hidden Sand Village tributary state.
"Whoa~~~~~!"
The carriage came to a stop midway.
Gaara asked, "What happened?"
The driver said, "Lord Kazekage, there's a little girl collapsed in the road ahead!"
Gaara said, "Let's get down and take a look..."
Temari said, "This place is desolate and uninhabited. Ordinary people shouldn't be able to appear here. Something feels off. Gaara, be careful..."
Gaara nodded, jumped down from the carriage with his gourd on his back, and approached the little girl!
The little girl was not dead, only unconscious. Her face was pale, her lips cracked. She had probably gone several days without food.
They fed the little girl the water and dry rations they carried with them, and she woke up.
Still dazed, she could not make sense of the situation and warily watched the strangers before her!
Gaara said gently, "Don't be afraid. Tell me, what happened?"
The little girl said, "A group of people beat my father and mother to death, took me away, and then threw me here..."
Kankuro said, "Looks like the work of bandits. Report this to the higher-ups afterward. We need to keep moving, Gaara. The people of the Hidden Sand Village are still waiting for their Kazekage to take his place!"
"Kazekage... you're the Kazekage??" The little girl suddenly widened her eyes. "Kazekage, run! When I was half-conscious earlier, I heard that group saying they